Page 1 of 2 Next >>Following a decade of using Group A regulations, the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM) adopted the much more liberal 'FIA Class 1' rules at the start of the 1993 season. Reigning champions Mercedes-Benz opted to field an updated version of the tried and trusted 190 E. They were faced with series new-comers, Alfa Romeo, who entered the hugely sophisticated 155 V6 TI, which had been designed specifically for the new regulations from the ground up. While the ageing Mercedes-Benz put up a formidable fight, the raw pace of the new 155 gave Nicola Larini and Alfa Romeo the driver's and manufacturer's championships respectively.

Mercedes-Benz and its competition subsidiary AMG did not take this defeat on home soil lightly and for the next DTM season developed a brand new car. This was based on the recently introduced 'W202' C-Class sedan. Carried over from the production road car was the unitary steel shell but with the section ahead of the cockpit cut off. This was replaced by a bespoke subframe that housed the engine and double wishbone front suspension with pull-rod actuated springs and dampers. The rear suspension was of a multi-link design and also used pull-rods to actuate the springs and dampers. Among the many high-tech features allowed in FIA Class 1 were ABS for the ventilated discs and traction control.

Replacing the four cylinder engine used during the previous seasons was a brand-new V6 with a displacement of just under 2.5 litre. Very loosely based on the 4.2 litre V8 used in the E 420 and S 420 models, the new engine used a V-angle of 90 degrees. Equipped with twin overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder, the compact unit nevertheless only weighed 110 kg due to extensive use of alloys. Producing around 400 bhp, it was mated to a six-speed sequential gearbox that was fitted at the rear of the car to improve the weight balance. Whereas the Alfa Romeo featured four driven wheels, Mercedes-Benz was restricted to rear-wheel drive for their new DTM racer as none of the road-going C-Class models used all-wheel drive. Page 1 of 2 Next >>